A Prayer at 14 Led Him to Christ’s Restored Church

At just 14 years old, Jesus Christ told him not to join any church. Louie was raised in the Lutheran faith and plan to become a Lutheran minister. But one day, while reading the first chapter of James, he came across the invitation to ask God for wisdom. And so he did. For hours, the 14-year-old prayed, offering his life to God and asking one sincere question. Do you want me to become a Lutheran minister?

What happened next changed the course of his life? Louie said he saw a vision of Jesus who told him, "Join not thyself to the Lutheran faith or any other earthly faith, for it teaches the doctrines of men. Study and expand thy mind, and one day I will lead you into the household of my true faith, wherein you shall be baptized and become for me a fisher of men." For the next 3 years, Louie searched.

He visited church after church, convinced God would eventually lead him to the true one. After graduating from high school, a friend invited him to play softball with members of his church. Before the game, they stopped at a chapel in Woodland Hills, California, so his friend could grab some equipment. His friend told him to wait inside and get a drink of water. Standing alone in the foyer, Louie noticed paintings of Jesus Christ on the walls.

That surprised him because he'd always been told Mormons weren't Christians. Then one painting caught his attention. He thought it was a depiction of Moses leading Israel through the wilderness. It was actually Lehi's dream from the Book of Mormon. As he stood looking at the painting, Louie says he heard the very same voice that had spoken to him 3 years earlier. Louie, thou hast entered into the household of my true faith.

Join ye now herein, and become for me a fisher of men." His friend returned and found Louie standing motionless. He asked if he was all right. Louie simply replied, "I heard the Holy Ghost." On the drive to the softball field, Louie began asking question after question. "Did God still call prophets? Did we live with heavenly parents before this life? Did Jesus visit other people after his resurrection?" His friend answered his questions, then handed him a blue copy of the Book of Mormon.

Louie read the entire book in just two days. That night, he prayed to know if it was true. He says God answered that prayer, and from that day forward, he has never doubted that Jesus Christ restored his church. More than 50 years later, Louie says he's faced hardship, loss, and disappointment like everyone else. But nothing has ever changed what he came to know as a teenager. Christ promised he would lead him to his true faith and make him a fisher of men.

Louie says he has spent the rest of his life trying to fulfill that calling.